Better Choices
by Suicidal Grasshopper
Summary: Sometimes when something is denied, it's because something better is just waiting for the right moment to happen. Enough fluff to suffocate a hippopotamus--proceed at own peril.


The idea for this slice of madness can be attributed to a picture of Destiny Kitty's and the comment conversation it spawned. So, not only do I not own Beyblade, I don't even own the idea--that's all Destiny Kitty's. The only thing that is mine is the dubious honor of being the one to put this insane weaving of odd pairings together.

**DISCLAIMER:** Just said this, people. Look up.  
**DEDICATION:** To Destiny Kitty, I suppose. I would've never thought of the pairing if you hadn't put up that Tai x Rei picture. Strange how easy it is to misinterpret pictures from the thumbnails, isn't it?

* * *

Better Choices

Rei sighed and stared at his former team captain. _They look so happy together,_ he thought bitterly, watching Kai and Oliver share another sweet kiss. _He_ was supposed to be in that position--not that giggly Frenchman. Another morose sigh escaped him as he leaned both elbows on the railing of the dojo's deck.

He watched the two for several more minutes before finding that he could stand no more. Pushing himself off the rail, he turned and walked away, feeling his heart breaking into a thousand irreparable pieces. _Why? I promise my heart and soul to him, and then he goes and throws it all out a window._ He blinked at the pained tears welling up from the space in his chest where his heart used to be.

"Hey, Rei."

Rei jumped at the unexpected voice. Turning around, he quickly rubbed the back of his wrist across his eyes and tried to smile as his heartrate calmed back down. "Oh, hi, Miguel. I didn't see you there."

The Spaniard offered a half smile. "So, you found out about Kai and Oliver too, didn't you?"

Before he could stop it, a small squeak of pain escaped, bringing with it renewed tears.

A comforting hand fell on his shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, it was kind of hard for me to swallow, too."

Rei looked up at him in surprise. "You--?"

"Yeah, of course. I mean, how could I not? He's... I mean, it's just..." Miguel raked a hand through his already unruly hair, struggling to find the right words to describe it.

"He's just Kai, right," Rei offered.

"Exactly! He just always seems so comfortable with himself. But he's not arrogant about it."

"He just accepts the good with the not-so-good."

"Yeah... I guess I always kind of envied that about him."

"Me too."

The two looked at each other for a moment. Miguel offered another sad smile. "You wanna go for a walk? I don't know about you, but I need to get out of here."

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Rei dug his spoon into his ice cream and smiled shyly at the pavement. "Thanks, Miguel," he said softly.

"Hmm? For what?" The blond looked at him curiously and took a bite of his raspberry vanilla ice cream.

"For listening to me rant." He winced. "I don't normally gripe like that, for the record."

To his surprise, Miguel laughed. "It's all good. After nine years of late nights with Claude, I should hope I come across as a good listener."

"Nine years? You guys were with Barthez that long?"

He sighed. "Not exactly. Claude and I go way back before Barthez. We were actually bunk-mates back at the orphanage Barthez 'discovered' us in." Miguel's bright blue eyes seemed to loud over as they walked.

"I'm sorry--I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's okay. There's no way you could've known about that."

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Miguel stole another glance at Rei, drinking in the small, peaceful smile on the other's lips. He leaned back on his hands and kicked his heels against the dock.

"Y'know, he really is the best choice for him," Rei said absently.

"Mmmm?"

"Oliver and Kai. I mean, watching them earlier today, they really love each other." Rei glanced sideways. "And I think neither of us would've been that great for him."

Miguel smiled. "Yeah, I can be such a scatterbrain some days--that alone would probably drive him mad."

"And he's all but told me outright that I annoy the hell out of him on several occasions," he laughed.

Moving his fingers just slightly so they covered the back of the other's hand, the Spaniard murmured, "Well, I definitely don't think you're irritating in the slightest."

Blushing, the neko-jin looked up through his lashes at the gorgeous blue eyes several inches above him. "Really? Then... What _do _you think I am?"

Acting on pure impulse, Miguel leaned down and placed a feather light, blink-and-you'll-miss-it kiss on his lips. "Entirely too beautiful for words," he said softly, wrapping one arm around Rei's shoulders.

Rei blushed harder at the compliment. Leaning up, he returned the kiss shyly and moved closer to Miguel, nestling into the comfortable warmth of his chest. He smiled contentedly as he felt Miguel rest his cheek on the top of his head. After several moments of savoring the feeling of the Spaniard's arms around him, he asked dreamily, "Hey, Miguel?"

"Hmm?"

"Could this qualify as our first date?"

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"Hey, Kai," Rei said cheerfully, almost waltzing through the door of the room they shared at the dojo.

"There you are! You disappeared earlier."

Smiling serenely, the Chinese teenager shrugged and fell backwards onto his bed. "I just went for a walk, nothing special."

Kai eyed him critically for a moment. "You sure? You seem, I don't know... happier than usual, or something. I can't put my finger on it."

He laughed mentally at the Russian's confused tone. "Like I said, nothing special. Hey, before I forget, congratulations to you and Oliver. You two make a good pair."

Sounding almost nervous, Kai asked, "You're sure you're okay with it? I mean, I know you kind of had a thing for me for a while, and--"

"Hold up, since when have you ever been this apologetic?" Rei laughed. "I mean it, Kai. I'm happy for you two. Oliver is the best for you, I think, and that's all I really care about, anyway."

Kai blinked several times, then offered a rare, sincere smile. "Thanks, Rei. You don't know how much it means to me for you to say that."

"And besides, it'd be wrong for me to still like you that way, considering my current relationship status."

"Really? Who is it?"

Rei smiled, thinking about the crystal blue eyes that'd be sure to permeate his dreams. "That reminds me--Miguel told me to congratulate you guys, too."

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There is no method to this madness. But I've decided that Kai x Oliver is relatively cute, and I like it. :D

Please review.


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